This weeks newsletter goes into a few things about buying art supplies and other things online.

I first want to mention that most people that know me well know that I love getting a deal, like finding an art book at a garage sale that I know is worth a hundred dollars and I get it for 3 bucks. I recently bought a Soltek easel that I know cost $500.00 to $600.00 new... I found one on an art supply Facebook page and the guy sold it to me for 175.00 and it was like brand new. These are things I have gotten for a bargain but I have also gotten ripped off quite a few times, so I am here to teach you what not to do and learn from my mistakes.

If it is too good to be true when buying online don't buy it unless you have some recourse to get your money back or be able to send it back if it ends up not being what you expected. Research before you buy!

When it comes to art supplies like watercolor paints and paper, I would steer clear of buying it used unless you know how old the paper or paint is. I learned the hard way that watercolor paper does go bad after a while. The sizing breaks down and the paper doesn't accept the paint well. Watercolor paints can get hard unless you are using Holbein watercolors, their paints never harden in the tube or on the palette and can be rejuvenated instantly with water. 

When ordering on-line always check more than one site and find out what the average price is for the item you are looking for. Then if it is only a couple bucks more at a giant online store like Amazon I would buy it from them just because you know that if you don't like what you bought you most likely can return it with no problems.

There are so many scams going on right now when it comes to selling online and I just got scammed by an ad on Facebook where everything looked so professional about the product and the website along with the video, but it was a scam. Facebook now has so many advertised videos showing you all sorts of cool products and things that you have to have and at a price that seems too good to be true, and it usually is. Here is what some of these ads do. They lure you in with a video showing you how great these items work and if you click on the link they take you to a website that shows you again how great the item is and how great the price is. Don't buy it off Facebook or the site they take you to. First look for the item on Amazon or on a search engine to see where else it is available. I have found that you can usually find those same items cheaper on Amazon. 

If you order from the website that was linked from Facebook or Pinterest you can run into trouble like I did. They take your money and it all seems so legit, but what is happening is that the item usually comes from overseas and usually they don't send you the exact item that you ordered, it usually is a cheap knock-off or just a cheap product. Then if you want to return it there is no longer a website or all the info is bogus and the website is totally gone or a different site altogether. I learned my lesson and will now always look up the item on other sites.

I would show you what I am talking about but the sites and ads that I used on Facebook are gone and off of Facebook. Many times they use videos from real products that are being sold on legit sites and they steal the video and put it in their ads on Facebook and they even put the amazon prime price making you think it is a link to Amazon. I wish I could even show you these ads on Facebook but I can only give you the link to where you are taken when you click on the link... like this one HERE

Be a smart consumer and do some research before buying and as an artist don't be cheap, always use professional grade art supplies.